Will Sony continue releasing games on the PS3 after the PS4 is released?

There exists a common misconception, a stereotype if you will, that when a new console releases, the previous one suddenly ceases to matter. It becomes vapor in the wind, a butterfly whisper in a hurricane, it disappears faster than a puff of hot air on a cold winter morning. Now, beautiful imagery aside, it should be said that this is simply not true. Yes, the PlayStation 4 will be out in less than a month, and yes, it will be the latest and greatest thing, but that doesn’t make PS3 dead in the water. In fact, the PlayStation 3 is like a newly retired man or woman in their mid to late fifties. Sure they’ve had a good run, they laughed, they cried, but they’ve still got some life left in them. And so does the PS3.

The PlayStation 3 launched in November of two thousand six, almost seven years ago. Sony has expressed, since the days of the PS2, that their consoles would have a ten year life cycle. The PS3 will still be supported in a number of ways for the next several years. Granted, it will eventually fade, but it will be a slow burn and an eloquent bow as it descends into that good night. Sorry, I’m tearing up here. Let’s not focus on the end, but rather, what lies ahead.

In an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, the Sony Worldwide President of Studios, Shuhei Yoshida had a few comments to make about the remainder of the PlayStation 3’s lifecycle.

“So we'll have a parallel strategy with PS3 and PS4, like we had between PS2 and PS3. PS3 was launched in 2006, in the sixth year of PS2, but PS2 lasted for another five years. I don't know if PS3 will last another five years - but definitely for the next couple of years, because of the price difference, the great library of games and the publisher side being able to support both.”

This is good news for us PS3 owners. With the launch of the PS4, prices will only go down from here. Not to mention that those of us who are just now joining the Sony side of the console war have hundreds of titles to choose from, many of which released this year, that are incredible examples of the experiences and raw power of gaming that was showcased this generation. In fact, for those of you who are new to the PlayStation family, here are ten incredible titles that you must play before you dive into the next generation, in no particular order:

Right there you have well over ten titles, some of those series last three, four, or five games in length. The PlayStation 3 was an absolute golden age of gaming and even if you’ve played every game that’s ever come out on it, you’ll still find plenty to keep you busy. Here’s a custom list of titles coming out this holiday and early 2014 for the PlayStation 3.

All of those titles will be out, some for PS3 and PS4, but all will have a PS3 version available between now and summer of next year. That’s not all of them, not by a long shot. Those of us who own PlayStation 3’s, both new adopters and old friends, have plenty to enjoy on their system now, and for the foreseeable future.

A final note though, in the same aforementioned interview it was asked how long big budget or AAA titles would release for PS3. One thing to consider here is that the PlayStation 4 is easier to develop for, and as developers become more comfortable with the PS4’s architecture, the ease of development will become more apparent on the new system. The PS3 was a complicated creature. A beautiful, strong, and majestic creature, but a complicated one nonetheless. When asked about this, the President of Worldwide Studios had this to say:

“We were talking about indie games - many indie announcements at GamesCom were for games coming to PS4, PS Vita and PS3. These guys also support multi-generation platforms, so there'll continue to be a great supply of games.

“We'll continue to support PS3 in a way that makes sense, especially the digital games that we work on - but our large teams, our AAA release teams, are transitioning from PS3 to PS4."

So, in short, your PlayStation 3 will still receive plenty of love for the next few years, but soon it will be time to move on. There is no doubt, this generation was an evolution for the gaming industry, and the future is looking brighter than ever. We won’t say goodbye to the PlayStation 3 just yet, but when we do, it will be a bittersweet farewell.

Did my article make you tear up? How long will you wait to get your PS4? Tell us in the comments!